Montessori in Omaha, Nebraska

Practical Life

The practical life activities meet the internal need a child has for organization. At every level, the practical life area helps the child to learn more about the environment and how to interact with the environment. Life skills, grace and courtesy, care of self, and care of the environment are explored in practical life. Examples of practical life activities include:

Sensorial

Activities in the sensorial area help the children develop discrimination of size, shape, color, etc. to make sense of the world around them. Sensorial activities provide your child the opportunity to create order within their environment. Broadening and refining your child's five senses is something she will do by using the pink tower, broad stair, knobless cylinders, knobbed cylinders and many more materials available to her. The sensorial area of the classroom also includes materials for color recognition and gradation. The materials primarily include ten items to prepare the child for the math materials, using our base ten system. Geometry is also covered at the toddler and 3-6 year old levels.

Mathematics

The mathematics area of the classroom covers numeration, math operations and facts. Your child is introduced to concepts in math after acquiring a good understanding of numbers. Through a series of different exercises using materials, the child practices and masters each mathematical concept or skill. After introducing a concept, the child works on memorizing facts. The child is exposed to many different pieces of material including golden beads, stamp game and more. With each successive material and lesson, the child moves from very concrete (hands on) work to more abstract work. A kindergarten child can often add large operation problems (2361 + 1423) ... Read more

The mathematics area of the classroom covers numeration, math operations and facts. Your child is introduced to concepts in math after acquiring a good understanding of numbers. Through a series of different exercises using materials, the child practices and masters each mathematical concept or skill. After introducing a concept, the child works on memorizing facts. The child is exposed to many different pieces of material including golden beads, stamp game and more. With each successive material and lesson, the child moves from very concrete (hands on) work to more abstract work. A kindergarten child can often add large operation problems (2361 + 1423) because they have materials that help them solve the problem. Receiving individual lessons allows the child to work at their own pace and progress as they are ready. Independent work follows lessons and students have an opportunity to practice until the concept is understood. There is a large variety of fact work for the child to practice and memorize facts (6+3, 2+5, etc.).

Numeration: The study of numbers and their meaning. In the Montessori environment we have a beautiful bead cabinet. The children are shown the bead chains initially and learn to count. Later, the child learns how square numbers and cubes are created by manipulating the chains. Children also learn about numbers and their value from the red and blue rods, the spindle box, cards and counters and more.

Geometry: At the 3-6 age level, geometry is part of the sensorial area of the classroom. In the elementary classroom, geometry joins the math area. The child is introduced to solid and plane geometric shapes, the names of shapes, and to the study of geometry.

Operation Work: Introducing the child to concepts such as addition using a variety of Montessori materials. The material gets progressively less hands-on as the children learn to solve more problems in their heads.

Factual Work: Materials (like the addition chart shown below) provide an opportunity for the child to practice their facts quickly. Fact work is typically performed with one digit numbers (4 + 5). Like operation work, the fact work starts out with material that the child can move and progresses toward material that is non-moveable.

Language

The language area of the classroom provides opportunities for the child to learn how language functions. Children begin by matching pictures (flowers, animals…) to increase their skill of discrimination. Eventually the child begins to discriminate letter shapes and letter sounds. Reading is taught phonetically, starting with objects and pictures. The child begins to learn what sound they hear at the beginning of the words. The child likes to manipulate the objects or pictures. Children begin sound lessons which are individual. The teacher shows the child how to trace a letter made of sandpaper while hearing the sound the letter makes. From sound work the child builds words using a moveable alphabet. Individual alphabet pieces allow the child to create phonetic words readily (mat, cut, sit…). Phonetic reading books are introduced when the child is ready and the students also listen to stories read by the teacher. The child also learns ... Read more

The language area of the classroom provides opportunities for the child to learn how language functions. Children begin by matching pictures (flowers, animals…) to increase their skill of discrimination. Eventually the child begins to discriminate letter shapes and letter sounds. Reading is taught phonetically, starting with objects and pictures. The child begins to learn what sound they hear at the beginning of the words. The child likes to manipulate the objects or pictures. Children begin sound lessons which are individual. The teacher shows the child how to trace a letter made of sandpaper while hearing the sound the letter makes. From sound work the child builds words using a moveable alphabet. Individual alphabet pieces allow the child to create phonetic words readily (mat, cut, sit…). Phonetic reading books are introduced when the child is ready and the students also listen to stories read by the teacher. The child also learns sight words in a variety of lessons. Almost all children leave the 3-6 year old program knowing how to read.

Writing (mechanical and creative) is taught in the language area. Metal insets increase the child's small motor coordination and prepare the hand for writing. Mechanical writing is taught by grouping like letters together. For example, letters like o and a are taught together because o is the basic handwriting shape and you make the same shape, but add a connected line to make the letter a.

Cultural

Montessori classrooms include a cultural area where the children study cultures (how and where people live) around the world. Our 3-6 year old classes focus on continent studies. While we are learning about Asia, we study the people of Asia – what they eat, what they wear, how they live and work, landforms, cities, holidays, etc., as well as plants and animals of those continents. The children in our class learn about other places and cultures outside of Omaha, Nebraska. We are creating a sense of wonder in the children; how other children are similar and different by exposing them to worldly cultural studies. The children use beautiful globes and maps to learn geography and the location of cities, states and countries. Children study landforms and how those landforms originated, and how the landforms impact daily living. We use your child's natural curiosity to introduce her to a plethora of new vocabulary. The cultural studies seek to help the child answer their own questions about the world and their place in the world.